Less than 100 days before we return to the US. We will fly back to Texas on the 13th of March, will stay with the family for a bit, and then on to South Carolina.

Over the summer, I’ll get whatever job seems to make sense, while revising my current novel project. Then, in the fall, I’ll start a certificate program at Horry Georgetown Technical College to become an HVAC mechanic. If all the hype about “green collar” jobs turns out to be true, I hope to start a company that installs geothermal heat pumps. If not, regular old heat ventilation/AC mechanic stuff will do. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the median salary for HVAC mechanics in SC pays better than what I would make teaching high school–and I’ll have a lot more time and energy to write. As far as job security, the Freedonia Group estimates that there will be 100,000 more HVAC jobs than mechanics by 2011.

I’ve had a lot of fun and I’ve gained a ton of life experience doing the nomadic writer thing, but the necessity of one day buying a home has crystallized since Laura and I got married. Are my traveling days over? Hell no. But the wandering sure is.